title: Anti-Diabetic Activities of Jiaotaiwan in db/db Mice by Augmentation of AMPK Protein Activity and Upregulation of GLUT4 Expression.
abstract: Jiaotaiwan (JTW), which is composed of Coptis chinensis (CC) and cinnamon (CIN), is one of the most well-known traditional Chinese medicines. In this study, we investigated the antidiabetic effects and mechanism of JTW in db/db mice. Results showed that JTW significantly decreased the level of fasting blood glucose and improved glucose and insulin tolerance better than CC or CIN alone. JTW also effectively protected the pancreatic islet shape, augmented the activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the liver, and increased the expression of glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) protein in skeletal muscle and white fat. AMPK and GLUT4 contributed to glucose metabolism regulation and had an essential function in the development of diabetes mellitus (DM). Therefore, the mechanisms of JTW may be related to suppressing gluconeogenesis by activating AMPK in the liver and affecting glucose uptake in surrounding tissues through the upregulation of GLUT4 protein expression. These findings provided a new insight into the antidiabetic clinical applications of JTW and demonstrated the potential of JTW as a new drug candidate for DM treatment.
authors.affiliation: Experiment Center for Science and Technology, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Hui-Jiao
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Quan-Ming
authors.initials: QM
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Yong-Yu
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yin-Qiang
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Xiao-Yu
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Xiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lu